Midge Ure performs tonight at World Café

By Ed Condran, Journal Register News Service

Thursday, January 10, 2013

The Internet has closed many of the musical and pop culture gaps but there was no such technology a generation ago. Back then many bands only enjoyed regional success or never broke out of Canada or the United Kingdom.

Ultravox is an example of the latter. The UK embraced the stylish, synthesizer-driven pop-rock act, who soared to the top of the Brit charts with such baroque tunes as “Vienna” and “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes.”

But those songs fell on deaf ears in America. It was frustrating for Ultravox vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Midge Ure, but he understands why his band never broke in the states.

“A big part of the problem was that we were so European (sounding),” Ure said while calling from London. “When I came to America for the first time back in the early ’80s, all you heard on the radio was (Led Zeppelin’s) ‘Stairway To Heaven.’ It was corporate rock and all of a sudden you have these young men making a different type of music with synthesizers, well it didn’t work out so well for us over there.”

Most Americans missed out on the clever romantic songs, save those, who were part of the underground scene. “We were thankful for college radio in the US,” Ure said. “They did play us and we still have some fans there because of that.”

Ure expects the ardent followers from that era to attend his brief American tour, which stops tonight at World Café Live.

“It’ll be great fun,” Ure said. “It’s a good start for me.”

Ure who will play solo tunes and Ultravox cuts, hopes this is a prelude to a U.S. Ultravox tour.

“We reconnected and started babbling about making a record and we did it,” Ure said. “We’ll see if American promoters will take a chance on us.”

The band, which reunited in 2008, released “Brilliant,” its first album in 18 years.

“It’s been very satisfying,” Ure said. “We’ve all enjoyed it very much. We’ll see where it goes in America.”

Ure’s best known work in America is Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” which he co-wrote with Bob Geldof. Ure played most of the instruments on the song, which was bolstered by the vocals of an array of U.K. stars that helped make millions for those starving in Africa.

“We weren’t sure who was going to come out,” Ure said. “I remember Bob saying that if it’s only Ultravox and my band (the Boomtown Rats), we’re screwed.”

Bono, Culture Club, Sting, Big Country, Paul Young, Status Quo and so many more ’80s British hitmakers, were part of the song.

“I remember the pressure of having to complete this song in 24 hours,” Ure said. “I recall being blown away by Phil Collins, who came in while he was recording his own album at the time. He just blew us all away with his drum part. When he was done we all broke out in a spontaneous ovation. He’s so musical for a drummer.”

Band-Aid led to Live-Aid. Ure co-organized the event with Geldof and promoter Harvey Goldsmith.

“What an incredible concert,” Ure said “Queen just blew everyone away and that’s when U2 became world-wide stars.”

Ure is still a Band Aid trustee.

“Bob and I deal with it week after week,” Ure said. “I have that and I have this musical career that I’m bringing to America.”